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Three eye-catchers for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival
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Lossiemouth to throw it down to Constitution Hill
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Ballyburn could be one of the best we have ever seen
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Brighterdaysahead to improve over fences
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Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund at £205K - Read more here
The 2024 Cheltenham Festival saw spectacular performances from big names and high level runs from emerging horses who are sure to improve for next year.
With a view to the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, I have picked out three that caught my eye last week.
Lossiemouth arguably put up the performance of the week when landing the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle on the first day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
The only possible chink in her armour was doubts about whether she would stay the extra 4f, but that was put to bed as she was delivered at the last by Paul Townend to bolt up under hands and heels.
Having won the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle the year before in sensational fashion, Lossiemouth made it back-to-back successes at the meeting.
All credit goes to Willie Mullins for how he has nurtured this five-year-old mare throughout the season, giving her just two runs and teaching her to settle much better than she did as a juvenile.
She has bundles of talent and, having now proven herself twice in Grade 1 open company, a tilt at the Champion Hurdle could be on the agenda.
The mare is likely to keep improving throughout her years as we definitely have not got to the bottom of her capabilities.
Lossiemouth will have it all to do to beat Constitution Hill if he is on his A game come the 2025 Champion Hurdle. However, as the race showed this year, you should never be afraid of one horse, and Lossiemouth has the potential to even be as good as him getting the sex allowance.
A star was born at last year's Festival and she solidified her status last Tuesday.
Ballyburn arguably has the brightest National Hunt future of any going forward and I want him onside whatever race he goes for at the Cheltenham Festival next season.
However, it seems that going over fences is only going to make him better and the further he goes the better he will be, which leaves the 3m Brown Advisory Novices' Chase a clear option.
Connections and trainer have a big decision to make about whether to send him over fences next season, with the Champion Hurdle an obvious race for him next term.
If he does make the step up to the larger obstacles, he could go for either the Arkle where he is 5/16.00 or Turners where he is even shorter at 7/24.50 having never even jumped a fence under rules.
I believe he will suit three miles and was happy to see as big as 12/113.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook about him for the Brown Advisory.
His bumper performances coupled with what he has done over hurdles this term have been breathtaking, especially when seen at the Festival in the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle. He demolished a fair field having never come off the bridle.
If he improves once more for a further step up in trip and for fences, 12/113.00 about him will be ridiculous value.
The final eye-catcher of the meeting with a view to next year's four-day bonanza is Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead.
Dubbed the Irish banker for many at the Festival after Elliott's comments ahead of the meeting, she unfortuantely did not hit those heights.
Exceptional in all her work on the track prior to last week, she was keen throughout the Grade 2 Mares Novices' Hurdle and was beaten fair and square up the hill by the Jeremy Scott-trained Golden Ace.
Brighterdaysahead looks to want further, as she has already shown in her career to date, and looks the type that will revel in jumping fences.
She may get tougher options in the Grade 1 races next year, but at 5/16.00 against her own sex in the Mares Chase over 2m4f, it looks set up for her.
She obviously has a huge future and I think she will deliver on that at the Festival in 2025. Do not give up on the mare just yet.